The House That Jack Built Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The nursery environment is welcoming and very well resourced. Senior managers embed effectively the nursery ethos of ensuring that children settle and are willing and motivated to learn. Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to working in partnership with parents to enhance the continuity of children's learning.

Parents comment that they receive plenty of information about what their children achieve at nursery, and effective support and guidance for extending activities and learning at home. Children are happy, confident and show independence relative to their age. They behave very well and are developing awareness of managing... their feelings.

Children are very keen to join in with their activities. They listen intently as staff read stories. They join in eagerly with singing activities.

Children, including the youngest babies and toddlers, show that they feel safe and secure. They have warm bonds with the staff who care for them. Children of all ages enjoy many opportunities during the day to engage in purposeful learning activities outside.

These activities support children's physical development, alongside promoting their wider learning, and offering times for socialising with others. Planned topics, such as the current theme of the 'World around us', help children to learn about the local community and the wider world. These themes are adapted efficiently for each age-base room.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The provider and manager have a clear vision for future improvement. They offer staff a broad range of training opportunities and supervision to improve their skills and knowledge and to boost confidence in their roles. Staff are provided with an effective support system to promote their well-being and workload.

They comment that they 'look forward to coming to work'.Senior staff plan effectively for children's learning and children's individual needs. Staff are positive role models to children and overall demonstrate good teaching and interaction skills.

Resources and activities are purposeful and cover all seven areas of the curriculum. However, at times, staff miss opportunities to provide the highest level of challenge during play to best support how children learn.Children behave very well.

They listen as staff give explanations and guide them to share and take turns during their play. Children follow staff interactions, for instance, holding the lower rail when walking upstairs to the dining room. They use polite language, such as saying 'thank you' when they receive their lunch.

Children show self-control and are motivated to take part in activities. They have positive attitudes to their learning. For example, children are learning about mathematical concepts and problem-solving.

This is evident at inspection as staff help children to use bigger construction blocks as they create a wall. Children listen and gain awareness of new terms, such as 'foundation' to make their wall stronger.Babies demonstrate they feel safe and secure and are happy to approach staff for cuddles.

Staff encourage communication with babies, both verbally and non-verbally, to support babies' listening and attention skills. Staff interact warmly with babies as they make marks using chunky chalks on chalkboards. For example, staff draw spiders and count the legs to support babies' early awareness of numbers.

Children have a good understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Staff promote effective hygiene and self-care routines and older children are confident and independent at managing their personal needs. Children rest or sleep as they need to and wake happily and ready to resume their play.

The nursery chef provides children with a broad range of freshly prepared nutritious meals and snacks. Children comment that their meal was 'delicious'.Staff support children's awareness of literacy, for example, by reading in small groups.

Proactively, staff ask meaningful questions to capture children's imaginations. Attentive children are keen to discuss what they see in the pictures and interpret what is happening in the story. Staff help children to give meaning to the marks they make, for example children draw people figures and confidently name these as their family members.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider uses robust recruitment procedures to help ensure staff are suitable. Staff deploy themselves well in order to promote children's health and well-being.

They complete regular risk assessments on the environment to identify and act on any hazards. Staff are provided with appropriate training and guidance to update their knowledge of all safeguarding matters. They demonstrate a secure understanding of how to protect children.

Staff have a good awareness of possible indicators of abuse, and the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child in their care. This includes procedures to follow should they have a concern about another staff member or senior manager.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to develop and extend their teaching skills further, in order to plan for and challenge children more securely, based on what children can already do, to enhance their future learning.

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